The nearest Texas Roadhouse to San Francisco sits in Daly City, about eight miles south on the Peninsula, but that location closed permanently in 2022. The next-closest operating restaurants are in Concord, roughly 30 miles northeast past the Caldecott Tunnel, and Dublin, about 35 miles east over the Bay Bridge and through the East Bay hills. A third sits in Fairfield, 45 miles northeast off Interstate 80, past Vallejo. None of these is a quick errand. If you're starting in the Richmond District on a Friday evening and want to sit down at a Texas Roadhouse by seven, you're looking at an hour of freeway driving each way under normal traffic, and Bay Area traffic is rarely normal after four.
Text Karpo before you leave and it'll confirm current wait times at the nearest location, pull live traffic from SF, and hold a couple of backup steakhouse options inside the city if the drive looks grim.
Why San Francisco Has No Texas Roadhouse Inside City Limits
San Francisco's commercial-lease costs, small parcel sizes, and entrenched local dining culture have kept most big-box casual chains out of the city proper. Texas Roadhouse prefers suburban sites with surface parking lots, drive-up visibility, and family-friendly zoning—none of which fits easily inside SF's 49 square miles. The chain's model depends on high volume, long hours, and a bar program that thrives in car-dependent suburbs. That leaves San Francisco diners in the odd position of treating Texas Roadhouse as a destination drive rather than a neighborhood fallback, which changes how you plan the evening and what backup you keep ready.
Concord and Dublin: The Two Realistic Options
The Concord Texas Roadhouse sits on Willow Pass Road near the Willows Shopping Center, just off Highway 242. From downtown SF, take BART to Concord station, then ride a bus or call a car for the final two miles—total elapsed time around 75 minutes if transfers align. Driving from the Richmond District means the Golden Gate Bridge approach or the Bay Bridge to 680 North, then the Willow Pass exit; budget 50 minutes without traffic, 90 minutes during evening commute. The Concord location typically posts wait times between 30 and 60 minutes on weeknights after six and can push past an hour on Friday and Saturday. You can join the waitlist online before you leave, but the system often underestimates; confirm by phone if you're driving more than 20 miles.
The Dublin location on Grafton Street sits near the Stoneridge Shopping Center, accessible via Interstate 580. BART's Dublin/Pleasanton station is a mile away; the walk is flat but crosses wide commercial driveways with limited sidewalks, so most people rideshare that last segment. Driving from SF takes you over the Bay Bridge, through Oakland on 580 East, then south at the 680 split—about an hour in light traffic, closer to 90 minutes if you hit the bridge backup or the evening crush past the Coliseum. Dublin's wait times run similar to Concord's: expect 40 minutes on a Tuesday, an hour or more on weekends. Both locations open at 3 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends, and both close at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with the kitchen wrapping up 30 minutes before posted close.
Neither restaurant offers much to do while you wait. Concord's Willows mall has a few chain stores, but they close early. Dublin's Stoneridge stays open later and has a movie theater, but if your party is already hungry, you're better off texting ahead for the waitlist and timing your arrival. Both locations have full bars, so you can order a drink while you wait, but seating in the bar area fills quickly and doesn't always shave time off the main dining-room queue.
What the Drive Actually Costs You
Round-trip mileage from the Richmond District to Concord runs about 70 miles; to Dublin, closer to 80. At current California gas prices and bridge tolls, you're spending $25 to $35 in direct costs before you order food. If you're taking BART, a round-trip ticket from Embarcadero to Concord is around $10 per person, plus rideshare on both ends adds another $15 to $20 each way. The time cost matters more: a weeknight Texas Roadhouse trip from SF eats three to four hours door-to-door, assuming no major traffic and a reasonable wait. That's longer than most people spend on a casual dinner, which is why the chain's San Francisco search volume spikes hardest among groups planning a specific occasion—birthdays, team dinners, visitors who know the brand—rather than spontaneous weeknight cravings.
Traffic patterns make evening drives unpredictable. The Bay Bridge metering lights back up eastbound from 3:30 to 7 p.m. most weekdays, and the westbound return after nine can crawl if there's an accident in the Treasure Island tunnel. The Caldecott bores on Highway 24 toward Concord jam in both directions during commute windows, and fog rolling through the Caldecott in the evening can cut visibility sharply. Weekend traffic is lighter but less predictable; Saturday afternoon bridge backups are common when events overlap at the Coliseum or Chase Center. If you're driving, keep Waze or Google Maps open and check conditions before you leave the city. If the app shows red from the bridge to your exit, push your reservation back or pick a backup plan inside SF.
If the Wait or Drive Looks Impossible
San Francisco has no Texas Roadhouse, but it has plenty of steakhouses and casual spots that fill the same dinner slot without the freeway commitment. House of Prime Rib on Van Ness has been serving carved roasts and baked potatoes since 1949; it takes reservations weeks ahead for prime times, but the bar seats a few walk-ins most nights if you arrive before six. Bobo's on Lombard in the Marina runs a straightforward steakhouse menu with booths, a full bar, and prices that track close to what you'd spend in Concord once you add gas and tolls. Both spots close their kitchens by ten on weeknights, so plan accordingly.
If the group wants the casual-chain vibe specifically, Outback Steakhouse has a location in Daly City on Serramonte Boulevard, about 20 minutes south of the Richmond District and reachable on SamTrans bus 120 or a short drive down 280. It's not Texas Roadhouse, but the menu overlap is significant, wait times are generally shorter, and you're not crossing a bridge. Another option: Hillstone on the Embarcadero near the Ferry Building serves steaks, ribs, and a solid bar program in a more polished room; it takes reservations and stays open until ten most nights. The price point is higher, but you're spending what you'd save on gas and time.
For groups willing to pivot entirely, Zeitgeist in the Mission has a massive beer garden, grilled burgers and brats, and stays open until midnight most nights. It's loud, smoky, and nothing like Texas Roadhouse, but it absorbs big groups without a wait and keeps the evening inside the city. If someone in your party is set on the Texas Roadhouse experience and won't budge, suggest a weekend lunch run to Dublin or Concord instead of a weeknight dinner—late-morning or early-afternoon waits are shorter, traffic is lighter, and you're back in the city by mid-afternoon.
Same-Day Checks You Should Make
Before you commit to the drive, check Texas Roadhouse's website or call the location directly for current wait times. The online waitlist feature lets you add your party remotely, but it doesn't guarantee a table at the time you arrive—it just puts your name in the queue. If the system says 45 minutes and you're an hour away, you might walk in to find you're still 20 minutes out from seating. Calling gives you a real-time snapshot and a chance to ask if the kitchen is running behind or if there's a large party ahead of you.
Check live traffic on your route before you leave. The Bay Bridge and 680 corridor can flip from green to red in the span of twenty minutes, especially if there's a stall or fender-bender near a major interchange. If you're taking BART, confirm that your line is running on schedule; weekend track work and weeknight delays are common, and a missed connection at MacArthur or 19th Street can add 15 minutes each way. Have a backup rideshare budget in case the last BART train leaves before you finish dinner—eastbound trains from Concord to SF stop running around midnight on weeknights, earlier on Sundays.
If you're planning a night out with drinks, decide in advance who's driving home or budget for a rideshare both ways. Texas Roadhouse serves a full bar, and the margaritas are strong and cheap enough that it's easy to misjudge. A rideshare from Dublin or Concord back to the Richmond District runs $60 to $90 depending on surge pricing, which is steep but safer than the alternative. If you're taking BART, remember that the system closes by one a.m. most nights, and the walk from your final station to home can be long and poorly lit depending on your neighborhood. Keep a backup contact who can pick you up if plans shift, and check that your phone is charged before you head out.
Practical notes
- Closest operating Texas Roadhouse locations are in Concord (30 miles) and Dublin (35 miles); plan 60–90 minutes drive time each way from SF during evening hours.
- Weekend waits run 60+ minutes after 6 p.m.; join the online waitlist before you leave, but call to confirm your spot when you're 15 minutes out.
- BART to Concord or Dublin/Pleasanton takes 60–75 minutes from downtown; last trains leave around midnight weeknights, earlier Sundays.
- Bridge tolls and gas add $25–$35 round-trip; budget another $15–$40 for rideshares if you're taking transit.
- If you're drinking, arrange a sober driver or rideshare home before you go—rides from the East Bay back to SF run $60–$90 late-night.
- Have a backup steakhouse inside SF (House of Prime Rib, Bobo's, Hillstone) ready if traffic or wait times spike.
Tags: #karpo #texasroadhouse #sanfrancisco #sfsteakhouse #bayarea #concordca #dublineast #sfnightout #eastbay #sfbars #sfrestaurants #bart #sfrichmond #baybridgetraffic #sfdinnerplans
Sources consulted: Texas Roadhouse Locations · BART Schedule and Fares · 511 Bay Area Traffic
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Ask Karpo first
Text Karpo your start point in SF and it'll pull current wait times at both Concord and Dublin, map live traffic for each route, and suggest a couple of steakhouse backups inside the city if the drive looks rough. It'll also confirm what time the last BART train leaves if you're not driving, so you're not stuck in the East Bay at midnight.
